Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wordless Wednesday 16


24 comments:

Unknown said...

Oooh nice, now I wouldn't mind a cappucino right about now!

tut-tut said...

Globalization . . . not good. How do the French feel about this, or don't they care?

Neen said...

They are everywhere!

B said...

Oh, yes, Starbucks is everywhere! :) But I believe the coffee served in cafés throughout Paris is so much better than Starbucks and the experience makes it even more so!

spacedlaw said...

Better Starbucks than MacDonald...
French coffee is not good enough to get offended.

Nicole said...

While I really enjoy my Starbucks at home... It seems soooo commercial and American to be in Paris!

christine said...

*sigh* :(

screamish said...

French coffee is not good enough!!! it depends! the espresso machine was invented by a Frenchman, so they should have SOME clue.

As for starbucks in the champs elysées...not surprising. Just glad I've never tried it and I'm yet to see a store where I live....one less reason to pour money down a big business hole...when I'd rather give it to Nina and Jean and their two kids (for example) who run the local café...

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

I am giggling uncontrollably :)

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I love Starbucks but this makes me sad.

Randal Graves said...

Please don't tell me your next post will be a pic of a McDoo. ;-)

Unknown said...

Yup, I think I saw one near the Cluny. Well, a few blocks away. I have mixed feelings about this. We went into a McDo's in Cahors once, and I swear the fries were better than in the U.S....

Betty Carlson said...

Randal,

It's been done! In fact it was my first Wordless Wednesday and got quite a few comments, but maybe you weren't a reader yet. I took the subtle approach, though -- not just a picture of the restaurant, heaven forbid! One wouldn't even know it was in France as they all look about the same.

Here's the link to that post:

http://franceprofonde.blogspot.com/2007/11/wordless-wednesday.html

Betty Carlson said...

Actually, Randal, I just checked all the comments and that was the very first post of mine that you commented on...so we have come full circle from McDonald's to Starbucks in France.

I can see this post is eliciting a lot of contrasting opinions, so I'll have to chime in with mine (and figure one out) over the next few days. I feel like I can't leave this Wordless Wednesday totally wordless!

Lavender Honey said...

An ironic photo?

Is it supposed to be sarcastic ... like the Disneyfication of the Eiffel Tower with its blinking lights?

Anonymous said...

I really hate the way starbucks tastes. Seriously, NOT good beans.

La Belette Rouge said...

That Starbucks sign does not belong there. Horrible!! It ruins the effect of an otherwise beautiful arcade.

Betty Carlson said...

F.O.T. -- If you don't think Starbucks beans are good, you may be in for some disappointment in France. I tend to agree with some of the commenters above that French coffee isn't actually that good, even if for some that is akin to heresy...

Unknown said...

Best cup of anything I have had to date was at the Musee D'Orsay - or perhaps it was my delight and being there among Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Pisarro, Caillebotte, and the achingly beautiful Art Nouveau collection.

Randal Graves said...

Oh jeez, now I remember that post. Chalk it up to my advancing age. As for the quality of their beans, I would have to concur with fot, at least around these parts. Far too bitter!

Now, let's try this again: no pics of Wal-Mart. ;-)

Betty Carlson said...

mMimi -- But was it a cup of Stabuck's at the Musée d'Orsay, LOL?

Randal -- So far, so good on that one.

Anne Corrons said...

It's incredible, Starbucks Coffee is everywhere in Paris now! But, It's more expensive than here!!!

blueVicar said...

AAAARRRGGGHHH!!

Meilleurs voeux!!

Betty Carlson said...

The variety of reactions to this post was overwhelming. It took me a while to get my ideas together to comment.

I'm from the Pacific Northwest, and as such am an inherent fan of Starbucks, even though I know there are plenty of places in the PNW where one can get better coffee.

I would never indulge in Starbucks in Paris, but my daughter, who spends summers in the USA, is crazy about it...so she definitely wanted to take advantage of being in Paris to get in a little of the Starbucks experience that she had also enjoyed on our previous trip to London.

Her friends enjoyed it as much as she did.

Personally, I don't really mind Starbucks' presence internationally, yet I found
the combination in the above photo depressing.

I didn't get the same feeling at the Starbucks near our hotel in the 11me, which really fit in well with the eclectic atmosphere of the neighborhood...and seemed to attract French customers and not just American tourists.